Thread-controlling means for sewing-machines



No. 608,795. Patented Aug. 9, I898. H. P. RICHARDS. I

THREAD CONTROLLING MEANS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Aug. 15, 1896. Renewed Jan. 12, 1898.)

(No Model Witnesses ms NORRIS PETERS co, Pumuumm WASHINGTON, n, cy

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IIUBERT P. RICHARDS, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

' THREAD-CONTROLLING MEANS FOR SEWlNG ll/IACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,795, dated August9, 1898. Application filed August 15,1896. Renewed January 12,1898-Serial No. 666,478. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUBERT P. RICHARDS, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inThread-Controlling Means, of which the following is a specifieation.

This invention relates to thread controlling means, the object thereofbeing to provide an improved resistance device for controlling theneedle-thread adjacent to the needle and by means of which the advanceof the thread will be freely permitted, but the premature retractionthereof effectively prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device not only simplein construction, but so constructed that the same can be dis posed inposition and effectively used in close proximity to the needle, wherebythe proper formation of a loop for the reception of the loop of theshuttle can be secured at all times.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a front View of a part of the machine-head, presser-foot,and needle and shows this improved thread-controlling means secured inposition. ing toward the left in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of apart of the needle-bar and needle and a rear view of thethread-controlling means in position. Fig. a is a side view thereoflooking toward the right in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a front view thereoflooking toward the left in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view ofthe needle-bar, taken in line a a, Fig. i, and a top view of thisimproved threadcontrolling means. Fig. 7 is a view of a part of thesupporting means or bracket of this im proved device and shows thethread-controller on an enlarged scale; and Fig. 8 is a crosssectionalview taken in line b b, Fi 7, and partly broken away. I

Similar characters designate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

Nhile this improved thread 5 controlling means can be used in connectionwith various sewing-machines, it is, however, more especially adaptedfor that class of sewing-machines in which it is necessary for theneedle to throw out a loop when beneath the fabric Fig. 2 is a sideviewthereof look for the shuttle or looper to engage, this loop beingformed by the friction of the thread with the fabric or material on theinauguration of the upward stroke of the needle. This thread-controlleror resistance device, which is preferably connected to the needle= barat the lower end thereof, is adapted for holding the upper threadagainst premature retractive movement during the first part of theupward stroke of the needle-bar and at a point below the eye of theneedle and to prevent drawing up of the loop before the same is engagedbythe hook of the looptaker or equivalent device, which drawing up ofthe loop might be occasioned by the extreme tautness of the upperthread, which is almost always more or less elastic, this elasticity ofthe needle-thread having a tendency to retract or draw back the slackcarried by the descent of the needle in forming the loop to be engagedbyahook of the looptaker or shuttle and to cause the thread to slipthrough the needle-eye and draw up the loop, so that it will not beengaged by said hook.

This improved thread-controlling means comprises in a general way asupporting means or bracket having a thread guide or guides and athread-controller disposed in position to permit the free advance of thethread, but prevent the premature backward move ment thereof, suchcontrolling means being disposed so that it will be in a position at acomparatively short distance above the fabric when the needle commencesits upward movement, and in the preferred form thereof herein shown anddescribed this improved threadcontrolling means comprises supportingmeans, preferably in the nature of a bracket 10, comprising a side wall12, having a coneaved or curved end 13, adapted for attachment to thelower end of the needle-bar 30 adjacent to the shank of the needle 35and which may be secured thereto by any suitable fastening device, suchas a set-screw 14. This bracket is provided with an inclinedthread-guide face or bed 15, extending upwardly from the lower end ofthe needle-bar 30 and preferably cut away adjacent to the .upper end ofthe side Wall 12 to reduce the friction on the thread. This bracket ispro vided at one end, adjacent to the outer end thread will be led closeto the needle.

of the side wall, with a thread-guide, (herein shown in the nature of aspiral or curl 16,) preferably formed integral with the bracket andthrough which the thread passes on its way to the needle-eye. The lowerend of this bracket is bent or curved inwardly and is provided with anupwardly-bent flange or projection 17, whereby it forms a secondthread-guide 1 8, having its outer or lower end terminating adjacent tothe needle and below the lower end of the needle-bar, whereby the Thislower guide is preferably so shaped by the inclination of its walls thatthe distance between said walls is somewhat less at that part thereofslightly above the thread than at the bottom of said guide, whereby anytendency of the thread to move upward is overcome by the inclination ofsuch walls.

' Secured to the bracket by any suitable means is a thread-controlleradapted to per- Y mit the forward passage of the thread at all times,but absolutely prevent the premature backward movement or retractionthereof before or on the inauguration of the upward movement of theneedle, and which threadcontroller may comprise any suitable device ormeans adapted for the purpose; but in the preferred form shown the sameis in the nature of a detent or clamp, preferably comprising arelatively wide plate 19, having a pairof collars or sleeves 20, bymeans of which it is pivotally secured in position by a suitable pivotdevice, such as a headed stud or pin 21, either removably or fixedlysecured in the side wall 12 of the bracket, the head of said pivotdevice preventing lateral movement of said plate. This plate has itslower under edge, as 22, which engages the thread, curved, whereby whenin clamping engagement with said thread it will not fray the same duringits passage beneath the controller.

In order to hold the controller in engagement with the thread at alltimes and permit the forward passage thereof, but prevent the prematureretraction of the same, a spring is preferably used to secure thisresult and is herein shown as a coiled spring 23, one end of which issecured to the wall of the bracket, while the other end engages theplate 1.), whereby the thread can actuate or swing the clamping-plate inthe direction of its movement and against the tension of the spring tothereby permit the passage of such thread, but will be held firmlyagainst retraction by said controller clamping the thread when theforward movement thereof has ceased, in a manner that will be readilyunderstood without further description.

In the use of this improved thread-controlling means the thread is ledfrom the usual thread takeup to and through the upper thread-guide 16 ofthe bracket, which is provided with a rounded surface 24 to reduce, asfar as possible, the friction on the thread, and thence down theinclined face or bed of said bracket under the controllerand through thesecond thread-guide 18 in close proximity to the needle, and thence tothe eye thereof, whereby owing to the particular position of saidcontrolling means it will be at a comparatively short distance above thefabric when the needle has passed therethrough, so that on theinauguration of the upward movement of said needle the controller willprevent the loop as it is being made from being drawn through theneedle-eye by the tension of the thread, and hence will cause at alltimes the formation of a proper'loop for engagement with the hook of theshuttle.

It will be understood that the lower guide 18 could be so formed orextended that it will be immediately above the fabric when the needle isabout to throw out a loop, if desired,

3 and thus bring the thread-controller closer to the fabric, or saidthread-controller might be disposed even closer to the lower guide 18,if desired, than is herein shown; but the best results have hithertobeen obtained from the disposition of the parts as herein shown.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. A thread-controller for asewing-ma-' chine, consisting of a bracket formed of an integral plateand provided with a threadguide at each end thereof, said bracket beingshaped at its forward end to fit the contour of a needle-bar and beingperforated to receive an attaching-screw; an inclined cut-away flange,constituting a part of the bracket and serving as a seat for the thread;and a swinging spring-actuated thread-controller provided with a roundedend which bears upon the thread between the lhrea'dguides and serves toprevent retractive movement of the same.

2. Thread-controlling means consisting of a bracket having an inclinedface or bed, said bed being provided with a threadguide adjacent to eachend thereof, the lower threadguide embodying a projecting flange, havingits lower end terminating adjacent to the lower end of the needle-bar,and said guide having inclined walls so that the distance between saidwalls is less at its upper portion than at the bottom of the guide.

3. Thread-controlling means comprising a bracket secured to the needlebar and provided with an upright wall and with an inclined thread-guidedisposed at an angle thereto; a querl with a rounded inner surface atthe upper end of said thread-guide; and

an inclined flange or projection at the lower end of said bracket, saidflange or projection being located at a point adjacent to the nee dle sothat the thread is guided in a line substantially parallel thereto.

4. The combination, with a needle-bar, of a thread-guide secured to thelower end thereof and embodying a right-angular plate provided with aquerl at its upper end and with an inclined thread-guide at its lowerend, located adjacent to the needle and below the surface of theneedle-bar; and a pivoted spring-comtrolled thread-controller having arounded bearing-surface disposed on the thread-guide, for the purposespecified.

5. The combination with a sewing-machine needle-bar carrying a needle,of thread-controlling means comprising a bracket secured to the lowerend ofsaid needle-bar and having an inclined face or bed for the threadand provided" at each end thereof with a threadguide, the lowerthread-guide being bent inwardly beneath the lower end of the needlebar,whereby its lower end will be adjacent to the needle; and athread-controller intermediate said thread-guides and adapted to engagethe thread on its passage over said face or bed to prevent the prematureretraction thereof.

6. The combination with a sewing-machine needle-bar carrying a needle,of thread-controlling means comprising a bracket having a side wallhaving one end curved to fit the lower end of saidneedle-bar and havingan inclined face or bed for the thread and provided with a thread-guideat its upper end and with an inwardly-bent thread-guide at its lower endand embodying an upwardly-bent flange or projection, the free end ofsaid lower thread-guide terminating adjacent to the under side of theneedle-bar and in close proximity to the needle; and a thread-controllersecured in position intermediate said threadguides and adapted toprevent the premature retraction of the thread, and spring-actuated inone direction.

7 The combination with a sewing-machine needle-bar carrying a needle, ofthread-controlling means secured to the lower end of said needle-bar andcomprising a bracket having a side wall and an inclined face or bed forthe thread and provided with a spiral threadguide at its upper end, andwith an inwardlyside of the needle-bar and in bent thread-guide at itslower end, the side walls of which guides are contracted above thenormal path of the thread to form inclined faces to thereby prevent thedisplacement of said thread,and said lower thread-guide being bentinwardly whereby its lower end terminates adjacent to the'under side ofthe needle-bar and in close proximity to the needle; a thread-controllercomprising a swinging clamp-plate adapted to engage the thread toprevent the premature retraction thereof; and a spring for actuatingsaid controller in one direction.

8. The combination with a sewing-machine needle-bar carrying a needle,of thread-controlling means secured to the lower end of said needle-barand comprising a bracket having a side wall and an inclined face or bedfor the thread and guide at its upper end and with aninwardlybentthread-guide at its lower end embodying an upwardly-bent flange orprojection, and the side walls of which guide are contracted above thenormal path of the thread to form inclined faces whereby thedisplacement of said thread is prevented and said lower thread-guide isbent inwardly whereby its lower end terminates adjacent to the underclose proximity to the needle; a headed stud carried by the side wall ofthe bracket; a clamp-plate journaled thereon and adapted to engage thethread to prevent the premature retraction thereof; and a spiral springcarried by said stud and having one end fixedly secured to the bracketand its other end engaging said clamp-plate.

'HUBERT P. RICHARDS.

Witnesses:

FRED. J. DOLE, BENTON T. PARKER,

provided with a spiral thread

